Automatically-fed embossing press



E. WEINHEIM. AUTOMATICALLY FED yvqqossma PRESS.

1,432,001. APPLICATION FILED 65%.24, 19:9. Patented Oct. 179 1922 3 SHEETS-SHED I.

E. WEINHEIM. AUTOMATICALLY FED EMBOSSING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24, I919. Patented 17 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- @514 Jim Mom L013 E. WEINHEIM. AUTOMATICALLY FED smsossme PRESS.

I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24, 1919. 1,432,001. Patented Oct. 17, 1922,

3 SHEETS-SHED s.

Patented Oct. 17, 1922.

- F i Q PATENT EMIL WEINHEIM, or NEw YORK,.1\T. Y.

AUTOMATICALLY- FED EMBOSSING PRESS.

Application filed December 24,1919. Serial No. 347,168.

The object .of this invention is to effect the automatic feedingof a work-strip intermittently throughout, each of repeated accurately measurable distances through a mechanism operating intermittently upon each limited distance of said work-strip, which must be at rest during such operation. Plate-embossing presses requirefthat the portion of the work-strip upon which embossing is taking place be at rest, an illustrative example of machines to which the invention is applicable, although in itsbroadest aspect my feeding method and.mechanism is applicable generally to machines designed to operate intermittentlyupon progressive portions of a work-strip.

A. further object of my invention is to provide for such automatic intermittent feeding by mechanism adding little or nothing to the floor-space required for the apparatus actually working upon the workstrip, in the present embodiment of my invention, an embossing-press. In furthering the latter object I propose to confine the reciprocating movement of my feedinggripper to a plane at' an angle to the parting between the operating parts of the mechanism. In the case of the embossingpress, with the parting between its pressure-plates horizontal, I propose to confine my feedinggripper to a reciprocation ina vertical plate at the side of the press so that little or no additional floorspace shall be required.

It is a furtherobjeot ofomy' invention-to provide automatic feeding mechanism to a press of the character described which; shall be adjustable to accommodate intermittent feeding movements .of the work-strip of various predetermined extents and also so that anaccurate adjustment-of the feeding-mechanism may be afforded to regulate the amount of the intermittent feeding of the work-strip under actual working conditions for the press with which it is associated.

Heretofore it has been the custom in connection with embossing presses to effect the positioning of progressive parts of theworkstrip between the jaw-plates of an embossing press by reliance upon the skill of the operator of the press who was forced to judge by h s eye each new position for the work-strip and to effect the repositioning manually. When it is borne in mind that any underlap or overlap of the embossing operation on a continuous workistrip injures if not destroys the market value of the entire strip, the importance of my object in rendering the intermittent feeding of the strip automatic and accurate should be appreciated. A further object of my invention i to improve the structural details and the selection and combining of mechanical movements and related parts to effect the general ob]ect of my invention. The above will better be understood by reference to the illustrated embodiment of my invention which I have described in the following specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and to which the claims are directed merely for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in diagram, of a preferred embodiment of my invention in combination with i an embossing press;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a rear plan view of the same with parts broken away.

In the drawings the structure in light lines is a commercial form of embossing-press A to which my invention is applied.

The base 1 mounts the separated uprights 2 and 3 towhich is secured at their upper ends the cross-head l of the press and along which the pressure table 5 is vertically guided under the operation of the toggles 6.

The toggles 6 through the cam-followers 7 at their elbows are operated by the oscillating double earn 8. driven by the crank 9 through connecting rod. 10 from the crank 11 onthe powershaft 12. The power shaft 12 is journalled on brackets 13 suitably mounted as on base 1., In the construction shown the cross-head l is fitted with the usual steam chest 14 to the under face of which is secured the embossing pressureplate 15. The movable table 4. carries, as is common practice, a number of equalizing pressure-plates 1.6 of cardboard or the like. For the purposes of the invention either the cross-head 4L and the table 5 may be considered as illustrating a pair of power-driven relatively openable and closable pressureplates or jaw-plates, although the actual pressure uponthe work-strip B is applied through the embossing-plate 15 and an equalizing plate 16, the parting between which is indicated in Fig- 2 by 17. The

power-shaft 12 is power-driven in any suitable manner at constant speed in the direction of the arrow 18, that is clockwise in Fig. 2. For the position of the parts shown in the figures the pressure-plates are just closed together against the work-strip B mediately prec'eeding the position of crank 1 and for all the remainder of the rotation of the. crank 11 pressure is beingfapplied to the work-strip throughout the limited area 6 immediately between the resetsla es and no feedingmovement of the work-strip is then taking place.

.flhe work strip Bis threaded through the plates,'as indicated by the dot and dash line in, Fig 1,,a nd, after. leaving the press is constantly subjected toQa dragging or straining tension by any suitable means such as power-driven friction rollers 1 8 which do not exert suflicient dragging tension upon the strip to rupture or injure it when its progress is arrested tothe leftor in the rear of the tension means 18.. The feeding mechanism for the press is indicated collectively by C. A split collarsprocket wheel 19 is v fixed to the power-shaft 12 and operates sprocketwheel 20 of the same diameter, on spindle 21, mounted injournals 22 supported by, the uprights 2. Chain 23 connects the sprocket wheels, spindle 21 is thus rotated. in the same direction as power-shaft 12 at the same angular velocity. Spindle 21 is fitted at its respective ends with cams 24 and 25. Cam 24 is provided with an internally flanged camway 26 formed to cooperate with thecam -follower 27 carried by the vertically reciprocating block 28 which is guided on roller-bearing pins 29, supported fromthe head 4. The action, of the cam 24 is radial whereas thecam 25 operates upon a cam follower 30 through they medium of its rim 31 and in an axial direction.

The work-strip B is preferably guided between the pressure-plates 4 and 5, first through friction or retarding'rollers 32, then over. roller 33 down under and out about roller 34. The rollers 33 and 34 are preferably mountedonysuitable brackets 35 and 36 mounted on aframe 37 anchored to the flooring 38 and stayed to the ceiling, if desired, by a strut 39. The guide rollers 32, 33 and 34 are preferably of a lineal extent slightly exceeding the" width of the workstrip B.

The feeding gripper D is a' reciprocating mechanism and comprises preferably a crossbeam 45 to the inner vertical face of which is movably secured by slide pins 46 a friction strip 47 normally presses away from the bear'n45 by compression springs 48 held in sockets 49 by retainers 50. It is preferred that the beam 45 be constructed of some strong structural material such as a cast aluminui'u alloy and that the friction strip 47 be a felt-faced wooden or metal strip, somewhat resilient. Movably secured to the beam 45' at it-s ends is a clamp bar 51 prefer l tbly of stiff metal'whjich works on pins 52 having "sliding" bearing in the bosses 53. Compression springs 54 in sockets tend to force the bar 51 "into open position. It is between b'ar 5l and the friction strip 47 that the work-strippasses in its cooperation with the gripper D. The manysprings 48 insure'aneven grip. At the ends of the bar 51 are secured anti-friction rollers 55 by means of tl'ie cleats 56. Vertical guidetracks 57 vertically spaced are respectively mounted on the uprights 58 of the frame 37. Eachfendof the gripper 45 mounts or, preferably, as is shown 'is cast'integrally with a pair of verticallyfiaring arms 41 and 42 at each end ijnounting pair of vertically spacedfrollers 59 and 60 adapted to run on the tracks 57 to guide the vertical reciprocation of the grlpper. Swivelled to each end ofthe gripper are vertically extending racks 61,the upper endso'f which are guided by roller- 62 which hold the racks in mesh with the gears 63 fixed to theends of the back spindle 64 jouriialledin brackets 65.

The lower-ends of theracks 61 connect with swivel pins 66 carried in br'acket arms 67 preferably cast integrally with the ends of the grippieribar 45. Themeshing of the rack wanes with the gears 63 insure a parallel verticalmotion for the gripper D through the interlinkageof the gears 63 by the back spindle64. N

pair ofparallel iiiotion tracks 70 are swiveledtof theendsof swinging arms 71 and 72suitably mounted onthe uprights 2 and3, oneof the'arms'r'l (that to the left in ig..2)carries the cam-follower30. The arms '72 are cross connected by the tie spindle 7 3 to interlink the; action of the two tracks 70 gander theoperation of the cam operated arm 71.' The retrieving spring 74 normally tends to 'force the tr'acks 70 into their upward retracted position as l n nt fieute The back spindle 64 in addition to the gears 63 carry adriving pinion 75meshing with the reciprocatable rack 76 suitably block 28 and carries pin 83 in cooperating with the slot of socket 80. The spacing from the block 28 of the cleat 81 may be adjusted by varying the shims 84 located between the cleat and block 28.

Operation.

For the position of the parts illustrated the work-strip B is gripped against feeding motion by the clamp-jaws 4 and 5 and the embossing operation upon the section I) of the work-strip between the operating plates has commenced. The gripper D is open and the tension device 18 has taken up all slack between itself and the jaws 4 and '5 in the work-strip B which, as explained, is now at rest. As the shaft 12 rotates clockwise the cams 8 operating through toggle 6 continue to increase and maintain the pressure upon section 5, the embossing operation continues while the chain 28 commensurately drives shaft 21 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. The cam-follower 30 is following the leftmost portion (Fig. 1) of the cam face 81' so that the gripper closing tracks 70 remain in the position indicated in the figures until the outwardly extending cam face 90 reaches the follower 30. The cam-follower 27, however, is operated upon by the portion 91 of the camway 26 to force up the block 28 and through lever 77 forcibly depress rack 76. Rack 76 in turn operating through pinion 75 drives the racks 61 upwardly through the gears 63 until the concentric portion 92 of carnway 26 reaches the cam follower 27 when the gripper D has been elevated to its uppermost position and held there. The extent of the gripper lifting portion 91 of camway 26 approximates 120. After the gripper D has reached its highest position the cam shoulder 90 drives out camfollower 30 so that the tracks are pressed outwardly, that is, to the right as shown in Fig. 1 against rollers 55 carried by the movable bar 51 of the gripper D so that the bar is forcibly pressed against the work-strip B. The felt covering of strip 47 frictionally grips the embossed surface of the work-strip without injury. The flat portion 94 of cam face 31 holds the gripper D closed until after the cams 8 have permitted the jaws and 5 to open to release the work-strip B. At this time, that is a safe interval after the opening of the jaws 4 and 5, the cam portion 95 of camway '26 operating through thecam follower 27 depresses the rack 76 which forces the gripper outwardly relatively to the work, that is, downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, a measured distance, determined by the adjustment of the cleat 81, this is a distance equal to the length of the embossed portion 5. As the work-strip is being carried outwardly by the gripper D the tension means 18 takes up all slack about roller 34, but cannot drag through an excessive amount because the gripper D through the portion of the cam portion 94 still holds the work-strip against feeding movement.

hen the work-strip is being held in position the pressure jaws 4 and 5 again grip the work-strip upon a progressively new portion Z2 exactly abutting the finished portion Z). When the jaws 4 and 5 have closed to hold the work-strip against outward progress, tracks 70 are retracted causing the sorings 54 to open the gripper D and the operation of all parts is repeated. It is preferred that the extent of the portion 95 of camway 26 approximate 90, the camway portions 95 and 91 being separated on one side by the concentric portion 92 which may approximate 70 while a second concentric portion 99 approximating 80 forms the other connecting portion.

As desired, the takeup speed of the tension rollers 18 may exceed, equal or be less than the feeding speed of gripper D.

I Vhat I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. In combination in an embossing press, a pair of relatively movable pressure plates; means comprising a rotatable shaft for effecting a relative approach followed by a separation of said pressure plates; andopenable and closable work-strip gripper; means for giving to said gripper an outward movement of a predeterminable lineal extent and then a return movement; means for closing and for maintaining said gripper closed throughout a predeterminable time relatively to the functioning of said pressure plates including all of the time said plates are apart, and then permitting said gripper to open and means for maintaining constantly feeding tension upon the work strip.

2. In combination in a press adapted to work intermittently upon progressive portions of a work-strip. a pair of relatively openable and closable pressure plates; an openable and closable gripper for the workstrip; timed means for imparting a recipro cation to said gripper, an outward stroke when said pressure plates are opened and ,a backward stroke when said pressure plates are closed; timed means for closing said gripper before said pressure plates are opened and for maintaining said gripper closed during its outward stroke and until after said pressure plates are again closed.

3. In feeding mechanism for a work-strip; gripper comprising a pair of normally open gripping bars; a fixed guidevvay for guiding the reciprocation of said gripper; and a parallel motion track operatively mounted parallel to said guideWay and movable into and out of closing engagement With one of said gripping bars.

4. The method of automatically and intermittently feeding a Work strip a measured distance through the pressure plates of a press, comprising maintaining Withdrawing tension upon the finished end of the Work strip tending to drag said Work strip through said pressure plates of said press but of an amount less than the tensile strength of said work strip so that said Work strip will remain uninjured when it is held at rest by the pressure grip of said pressure plates; and arresting the movement of said Work strip independently of said pressure plates When said pressure plates are opened and When a predeterminablelength of said work strip has been drawn through said pressure plates and until after said pressure plates have applied pressure upon said'work strip; and then, when said pressure plates are applying presmire to said Work strip, permitting said Withdrawing tension to extend through said Work strip back to the portion of said Work strip then being gripped by said pressure plates.

EMILV WEINHEIM. 

